The high voltage perturbation technique for testing the response of neutron sensors of the type used in nuclear reactors

Perturbation of the high voltage bias supply of neutron sensors of the type used in nuclear reactor protection systems has been demonstrated in a laboratory environment to be a potential method for response time measurement. The laboratory evaluation used simulated sensor and signal cable degradation with boron lined and uranium lined chambers operating in current mode. The investigations have demonstrated the sensitivity of the technique for detecting simulated degradations of the time response of the simulated detector-cable system.